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Upgrading to a Gauge Package W/ Column Shifter


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  • 6 months later...
  • 1 year later...

Once again I'm going to post to a very old thread.

 

I have a 3/4 cluster(guages but no tach) I want to put in my truck in place of the idiot lights that are currently installed.

Only problem is that I have a column shifter and don't want to lose my prnd12, obviously.

I need to know if I can remove the face of the full size gas gauge with the opening already present and transfer it and the indicator to the new 3/4 cluster without f'ing anything up and having to buy another one. I don't really want to cut a hole since I do have a gauge face that has a perfect opening in it.

 

So what do you think, will I ruin it? :hmm:

 

Thanks in advance for your input.

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Very short answer, NO.

 

The plastic case of the. 3/4 cluster does not have the hole to put the needle thru.

You need to use the old case. Put the new gauges in the cluster, excep for the fuel gauge. You also need to swap the printed circuit board form the 3/4 cluster.

 

You don't say what year.

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Turns out its not that easy. :fs1:

The gauges won't go into the dummy light housing since it doesn't have the appropriate holes.

So I used the new housing and drilled a hole for the prnd12 cable to go through. You'll see where the side light box is missing :doh:

so I trimmed the one I had and it will mount on its own. :wrench:

 

This one is the dummy.

 

This one is the 3/4.

 

 

So pretty much I ended up just moving the prnd12 and the gas gauge to the new housing.

I havent re-installed it in the truck yet, will post pics when complete.

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:hijack: At the fourth post in a row I believe this thread is officially hijacked .

 

long story short:

 

went to install it and switching the gas guages in the 3/4 cluster is not possible since they use different screw holes for the circuit had to cut a hole :fs1:

after that everything was fine.

 

Thank you to OP for the excellent information.

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  • 9 years later...
On 2/20/2009 at 9:15 AM, HOrnbrod said:

 

The indicator (made by Ididit) window is fastened to the fixed upper column housing and the pointer is fixed to the moveable middle column housing. This indicator is for a GM 3-speed tranny, but it lines up perfectly with the AW4 shift points. Not illuminated though so I'm working on a small LED to embed within the movable pointer.

Resurrected. Sorry to people who don't like thread necromancy.

 

Did you ever get that LED figured out?

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12 minutes ago, EUREKA said:

Resurrected. Sorry to people who don't like thread necromancy.

 

Did you ever get that LED figured out?

 

Don passed away a couple years ago. :(  maybe someone else remembers if he did? 

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14 hours ago, EUREKA said:

Resurrected. Sorry to people who don't like thread necromancy.

 

Did you ever get that LED figured out?

If you have pick-n-pull type junkyards near you, you might go check out 70s-80s GM full size vans.  They used similar steering column mounted shift indicators.  They were lighted from the factory.  Older ones will be for 3 speed transmissions (like TH350/TH400) later will be four speed (like 700R4).  Here is an example of a 3 speed type.  You can see the bulb in the lower bracket that is wired into the dash lighting circuit.  You best bet is to find and pull one in a junkyard yourself so you see how they come off/are installed, so you can adapt it to your column.

IMG_3619.jpg

IMG_3620.jpg

IMG_6327.jpg

IMG_6328.jpg

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On 1/14/2022 at 10:10 AM, schardein said:

If you have pick-n-pull type junkyards near you, you might go check out 70s-80s GM full size vans.  They used similar steering column mounted shift indicators.  They were lighted from the factory.  Older ones will be for 3 speed transmissions (like TH350/TH400) later will be four speed (like 700R4).  Here is an example of a 3 speed type.  You can see the bulb in the lower bracket that is wired into the dash lighting circuit.  You best bet is to find and pull one in a junkyard yourself so you see how they come off/are installed, so you can adapt it to your column.

IMG_3619.jpg

IMG_3620.jpg

IMG_6327.jpg

IMG_6328.jpg

That same era Chevy pickups and Jeep J-Trucks will work too. You can also find some of those Squarebody pickups (starting in 84 for the c10 and k10, IIRC) with an overdrive transmission, so those ones will more than likely have a slightly different indicator, but I could be wrong on that.

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4 minutes ago, 89 MJ said:

That same era Chevy pickups and Jeep J-Trucks will work too. You can also find some of those Squarebody pickups (starting in 84 for the c10 and k10, IIRC) with an overdrive transmission, so those ones will more than likely have a slightly different indicator, but I could be wrong on that.

The 73-87 Chevy trucks (91 for Suburbans and Blazers) had the gear indicator in the dash panel rather than on the steering column.  I think the 72 and earlier trucks had it on the column.

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2 hours ago, schardein said:

The 73-87 Chevy trucks (91 for Suburbans and Blazers) had the gear indicator in the dash panel rather than on the steering column.  I think the 72 and earlier trucks had it on the column.

Thanks! I will probably go this route when I get back to my 91 MJ. I deleted the floor shifter and plan to convert it to column shift.

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